Recent developments in the fields of neuroscience and education technology have enabled the invention of Attention Adaptivity. Discoveries and trends from these fields have created conditions for innovation and demand for technologies that can gauge a student's level of attention and use these metrics to improve instruction.
Electroencephalography (EEG) devices that sense brain activity have been in use for decades, but the portability of modern EEG devices has made them much easier for people to wear and much less cumbersome in implementation. Specifically, it is now possible for dozens of students in a classroom to simultaneously wear wireless and relatively unobtrusive EEG sensors. It is also possible for each of these sensors to send information on brainwaves to Bluetooth® enabled devices. This capability is key because it allows for the collection of brainwave data in real time from a large number of people at once. Therefore, real time monitoring of brain activity from each student in a class is feasible.
Meanwhile, as online or computer-based instruction has become common in schools, academies, and universities, stakeholders have realized that technology affords teachers with the opportunity to personalize instruction. Personalization involves the delivery of content and activities that best address an individual student's needs, at least when each student has his or her own computer, tablet, or smart phone. The practice of assigning the right materials to students, historically, has been one of assessing a student's proficiency and then sending materials that are an appropriate challenge. This approach relies on a thorough understanding of the materials—difficulty level, grade level, associated academic standards—but the industry's understanding of the student is not as deep as our knowledge of content.